The Hidden Quest for the Grandmaster's Lesson
The problem.
A village chief in a countryside town, level 999, the Demon King, level 10.
If you were told to classify these four words into two categories, you would definitely pick the village chief and level 10.
Guld had a good reason not to rate him that high.
But level 450?
That put him on par with a pope, a high priest, or a kingdom's sword master.
For an NPC in a mid-sized city like Byron City, it was way overkill.
"Did you get startled by my mana?"
Guld scratched his head.
"Sorry, but I couldn't just reveal it outright."
"It's fine. But why is a powerful necromancer like you in a place like this?"
"Simple. Because only someone like me can do it."
The Tor Temple in Byron City had been the local powerhouse for hundreds of years.
Now that Tor was one of the three major gods, the temple's prestige was something even high nobles couldn't casually disregard.
"Anyone who stays too long here won't survive."
"I see..."
Fafnir slowly calmed down.
'Jackpot. I never imagined an NPC would be this strong.'
If he had just walked by, he would have regretted it for a long time.
"Anyway, since you and I have become disciples, we can't just pass over it."
Guld rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a black gem.
"Take this. It's a commemorative gift for my disciple."
-Unique Dark Mana Stone acquired.
"Oh..."
"I should have prepared the materials myself, but since this happened, what can I do?"
-Quest 'Guld's Trial' completed in full.
When the dark mana stone was received, a golden notification window appeared.
"Then, how far have you gotten with the other materials?"
Guld asked casually.
If he was in trouble, he might get hints or buy routes here.
However...
"Actually, I've collected all the remaining materials."
"Good, that lightens my load the most. The rest can wait... Wait?"
This time it was Guld's turn to be startled.
"You collected them all?"
"Yes. I went around a lot, and I even borrowed strength from my friends."
"As I thought, the talent I noticed!"
-Guld's Favorability increased by 10.
Guld's eyes shone with honey while looking at Fafnir.
"Take this. It's the promised secret skill."
-Skill Book: Helkite's Homunculus Creation Method (Unique) acquired.
'Secret skill...'
Necromancers called skills with the names of NPCs secret skills.
Obviously these were far more valuable than normal skills.
Their main effects like damage, enhancement, or recovery were greatly boosted.
Or their auxiliary effects like MP consumption, cooldown, success rate, and duration were better.
Some even had special effects that normal skills didn't have.
Once acquired, a secret skill was always better than a normal one.
Of course, secret skills were much harder to obtain.
You couldn't get them through trading or hunting normal monsters.
Only through interacting with specific NPCs or dropping them with rare probability from bosses of Unique rank or higher.
There was more to it.
Since secret skills were blocked in player-to-player trading, even the smallest one had to be obtained through self-effort.
In fact, getting just one per character was considered lucky.
'Flush guy only had secret skills...'
I helped a dwarf and got a bunch of secret smelting skills.
Helped an elf in a fight and got secret spirit magic.
But the difference was secret skills, so in the later stages, Fafnir had forgotten half the skills he possessed himself.
'...'
For some reason, his spine tingled!
Anyway, the important thing was that he had obtained a secret skill.
"Then, I'll learn it with gratitude."
"I can make it whenever I have time."
Although he said that, Guld's expression was full of curiosity.
Fafnir smiled slyly.
"I will definitely show you, so you don't have to worry."
"Heh, heh. Did I show it too much?"
Well, if he bent his upper body 45 degrees and got close, it would be impossible for him not to notice.
"Oh, by the way, I have something I need to ask you."
"Please tell me anything, Master."
"Master? Hearing that makes my feelings weird."
-Guld's Favorability increased by 1.
"Anyway, let's start with the first one."
Guld cleared his throat and continued.
"Actually, a while ago I boasted about receiving a promising kid from the tavern, and Gerard asked if I could show him something. If you're not busy..."
-Guld is requesting help.
-Do you accept the quest?
"Gerard... is that the city guard captain?"
"Yes, go visit the guard post when you have time."
People like to brag about good things that happen to them.
Guld couldn't resist that impulse and ended up getting caught.
"Understood."
-Quest accepted.
The city guard captain was a good NPC full of information and quests.
After all, the position of guard captain was something only locals could handle.
'If I raise favorability, I can get multiple quest chains.'
At that moment.
Just as Fafnir was organizing his thoughts.
"The second request is a bit important."
Guld said with a serious expression.
"Since you became my disciple, it is my duty to report this to Master."
"I see."
"But I can't leave here. There is no one to take my place, so..."
Fafnir instinctively knew what was coming.
"Could you go meet my Master for me?"
-Guld is requesting help.
-Do you accept the quest? (Y/N)
'Of course, that's the quest.'
His Master was definitely an amazing necromancer.
Even if he hadn't become a disciple, he would have had to meet him once anyway.
"I will definitely go when the opportunity arises during my travels."
"Good, thank you."
-Quest accepted.
When leveling up and adventuring, there would be opportunities.
That moment.
-Quest 'Samyun Visit' (Unique) generated.
-This is a quest related to the main stream.
No matter how much Fafnir had been surprised today.
And no matter how much he was familiar with various situations after playing so many games.
'No, this can't be helped.'
After thinking, Fafnir instinctively opened his mouth.
***
Main Quest.
They referred to the big missions that progressed the story in most games.
Of course, Horizon had such stories.
However, only a select few chosen heroes could progress them.
Including Flush, they were only a handful.
'So main quest information was managed as special everywhere.'
There was a main quest here.
It was truly an unexpected opportunity.
'Exactly, it's related, so it should be a sub-main quest.'
Of course, most of those led to main quests.
Right now, Fafnir had hit the jackpot.
'Heh, a main quest.'
Even if he stayed quietly, he would have laughed.
'But it's not easy.'
Black magicians mostly hid their whereabouts and wandered around.
They were chased by the gods of light, and they didn't get along well with each other either.
'Finding clues to Archmage Lurune... just difficult things.'
As Fafnir sighed, the earlier conversation flashed through his mind.
'And the monster summoning quest is added on top...'
Vampiric Aura.
To use this skill, he needed living monsters.
'That's why I asked, I didn't expect an extra quest.'
When Guld heard about summoning monsters, his mouth split open in laughter.
"As I thought, the talent I noticed. Skeleton soldiers aren't enough, right?"
Genius people had a different speed in acquiring knowledge.
Given Fafnir's past performances, he had expected this too.
"I thought so. There's a specialist in the capital necromancer guild, so I'll give you a recommendation letter."
-New quest 'Recommendation Letter Delivery' generated.
Out of nowhere, three quests increased.
Even if there were already a lot of things to do, with this it was as if he needed two bodies.
'What can I do.'
If he couldn't get two bodies, he could just do more.
Fafnir requested from Guld.
"Could you lend me a quiet place?"
"A place... a workshop, you mean."
Any established black magician had at least one workshop.
A place to gather equipment for uninterrupted experiments.
"I'll gladly lend it. You're my disciple."
Guld readily offered his workshop.
But there was one condition.
"I will work in the area where I observe."
It was the old man's feeling of watching his newly grown disciple grow!
Thanks to that, Fafnir could immediately start working.
'First, let's increase the skeleton soldiers.'
The elite skeleton soldiers he could currently bring along were three.
He could make two more besides the first one.
'With three skeleton soldiers, more organic movement would be possible.'
The characteristics of skeleton soldiers varied depending on the materials used.
The best combination available right now was...
'These guys.'
Fafnir placed each material and used the skill.
Crunch! The melted bones moved, and soon they transformed into human-shaped soldiers.
-Elite skeleton soldier acquired additional stats.
-Elite skeleton soldier acquired additional stats.
[Elite Skeleton Soldier]
-Please give me a name.
[Elite Skeleton Soldier]
-Please give me a name.
Two skeleton soldiers generated!
Once each was named, when their fame rose later, they could shake the underworld with the infamy tied to those names.
"Hmm..."
Fafnir said without hesitation.
"Call them Second and Third."
Fancy names for skeleton soldiers were a luxury.
The most important thing was to distinguish them clearly and shortly!
Clink, clink.
Second and Third opened their mouths as if protesting.
At that moment.
Clang, rattle.
Number One appeared behind Fafnir.
-Kkiriik.
-Kkik.
Startled, Second and Third stepped back a couple of steps.
Number One approached the two and started bouncing their skulls.
"..."
It looked familiar from somewhere.
Fafnir tried to ignore the chill running down his spine.
'Let me check their stats.'
[Second]
-Species: Skeleton
-Level: 36
-Relation: Servant
-Attack Power: 133
-Defense: 37
-View detailed stats
[Third]
-Species: Skeleton
-Level: 38
-Relation: Servant
-Attack Power: 113
-Defense: 85
-View detailed stats
'As expected.'
The second skeleton soldier was made from zombie troll bones, and the third from dark snail shells.
I never thought the original monsters' characteristics would apply directly to the skeleton soldiers!
'I have to remember this for when I make skeleton soldiers.'
They were perfect for one dealer and one tank role.
"This is enough for the skeleton soldiers."
Fafnir nodded.
After all, with skill level 1, three was the maximum.
As the skill level rose, more could be added one by one, so he could increase them over time.
"But why did you start with elite skeleton soldiers right away?"
Normally, you would summon normal skeleton soldiers first.
Considering growth difficulty or training methods, it was all like that, but why?
"No matter how strong I become, I don't think I can control all monsters alone."
Necromancers had a limit to their mana total.
Even after hundreds of levels through growth, it was the same.
So there was no need to carry everything alone.
"While raising the elite ones, when the opportunity comes, I will have them summon lower monsters."
It was like a large corporation subcontracting out the trivial mana costs to the summoned monsters!
In this case, there could be no complaints, which was the difference.
"That's a good method. But it will have many disadvantages."
Because the main body was weak, countless thieves and archers would try to assassinate the necromancer.
If he didn't keep elite subordinates around 24/7, he had to always prepare for assassination attempts to be an excellent necromancer.
"I will remember."
Fafnir bowed his head and thought.
'Anyway, the workshop correction, good to know.'
While making the two skeleton soldiers, the main message appeared.
According to the content, Second and Third gained some additional stats.
'Number One didn't have this.'
Thinking about it, it was natural.
The tools made casually in the market and the ones used in a research lab or factory wouldn't be the same.
'After growing, I should start with a workshop.'
Borrowing Guld's workshop was only for a day or two.
He couldn't stay here forever.
One more reason had appeared to grow faster.
'Good, that's enough for skeleton soldiers.'
The important part came next.
Fafnir took a deep breath and thought.
'It's time to cook the homunculus.'
Now the time had come to challenge creating a homunculus.